Riddles in the Downs

[Urwen]

Ye, though I didn't know that neither Dor-Lomin or Mithrim were a part of Beleriand.

[Urwen]

A bit of trivia: the places where they died are right next to each other on this map:

[Huinesoron]

Originally Posted by Urwen

A bit of trivia: the places where they died are right next to each other on this map:

My guess is that 'Beleriand stops at the mountains' was a bit of Feanorian/Fingolfinian pedantry to avoid having to pay homage to Thingol. "Yes, I know he's King of Beleriand, the wide forested lands either side of the Sirion - but we're north of all that up here. That makes this land unclaimed, right?"

Only the Finarfinions were able to admit that yes, actually, it was all Thingol's and he was very generous to let them muck about in it.

(And then of course the Feanorions migrated south, losing even that shred of justification...)

hS

[Urwen]

Anyway, over to Nerwen

[Nerwen]

Nothing, and a jewel incomplete;
To my heirs a jewel I bequeathed;
Long treasured, long drowned,
For a jewel my jewel was found.

[Huinesoron]

Hmm. 'Long drowned', of a jewel, makes me think of the original Elendilmir, which went into the river with Isildur. It was found by Saruman looking for the Ring, so 'for a jewel [it] was found' would fit.

'Long treasured' also fits: it was an heirloom of Andunie since Silmarien. 'To my heirs a jewel I bequeathed' says the speaker must be one of its bearers before its loss: Silmarien, Valandil, Earendur, Amandil, Elendil, or Isildur.

So 'Nothing, and a jewel incomplete' sounds like a cryptic/spell-it-out line. SILMARIEN? Her name is mostly an incomplete Silmaril, with just 'en/ne' left over as 'nothing'.

hS

[Nerwen]

Originally Posted by Huinesoron

Hmm. 'Long drowned', of a jewel, makes me think of the original Elendilmir, which went into the river with Isildur. It was found by Saruman looking for the Ring, so 'for a jewel [it] was found' would fit.

'Long treasured' also fits: it was an heirloom of Andunie since Silmarien. 'To my heirs a jewel I bequeathed' says the speaker must be one of its bearers before its loss: Silmarien, Valandil, Earendur, Amandil, Elendil, or Isildur.

So 'Nothing, and a jewel incomplete' sounds like a cryptic/spell-it-out line. SILMARIEN? Her name is mostly an incomplete Silmaril, with just 'en/ne' left over as 'nothing'.

hS

You've got it!

However, by "for a jewel my jewel was found" I meant, "to be worn by Elessar" and I was think of the last part of Silmarien's name being "rien" (i.e. "nothing" in French).

Over to you!